Houston, Texas — HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest announced today that it has achieved the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient by Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital. This award reflects HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest’s clear commitment to safe, patient-centered care and puts HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest in the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety.
Alongside this national recognition for patient safety, HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest was recently named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for overall clinical care and was the recipient of numerous other accolades based on its exceptional performance in key service areas, including prostate surgery, surgical care, gastrointestinal care and surgery, and more. These achievements further underscore the organization’s commitment to delivering compassionate, individualized care at every step of the patient journey.
“We are extremely proud to win this award for the fourth year in a row (2023 – 2026). Patient safety is at the forefront of everything that we do and our physicians, nurses, and entire staff of professionals work diligently each day to provide safe, high-quality care to our patients,” said Joel North, CEO of HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest.
This achievement is based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. To determine the top-performing hospitals for patient safety, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted complication and mortality rates for approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide. Healthgrades’ analysis revealed significant performance gaps between the nation’s highest- and lowest-achieving facilities, making it increasingly important for consumers to seek care at a hospital with top safety ratings. From 2022-2024, 167,228 preventable safety events occurred among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals, with four patient safety indicators accounting for nearly 78% of these incidents. Patients treated at HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest and other award-winning facilities had a profoundly lower risk of experiencing these leading complications:
- In-hospital falls resulting in fracture (52.4% less likely)
- Collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest (approximately 57.5% less likely)
- Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital (approximately 71.9% less likely)
- Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital (67.8% less likely)
Where you’re treated matters, which is why Healthgrades is committed to providing the most scientifically accurate information about doctors and hospitals–with data insights not available anywhere else. Consumers can visit the Healthgrades website for guidance on how to find safe, high-quality care in 2026.
*Statistics are calculated from Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award Methodology, which is based primarily on AHRQ technical specifications (Version 2025.0.1) to MedPAR data from approximately 4,500 hospitals for years 2022 through 2024 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.